DBCE Mechanical Students Develop Prototype of Solar Powered Plant Trimming Machine

Final year Mechanical Engineering students of Don Bosco College Of Engineering, Mukesh Naik, Bindesh Khandeparkar, Kshtij Naik, Savio Pereira and Swapnil Karapurkar have developed and tested a prototype of a solar powered plant trimming machine. The Project was guided by Prof. Ajit Salunke, HOD, Mechanical Engineering Department and Prof. Swapnil Ramani, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The project deals with design and fabrication of a prototype of plant trimming machine operated by solar power. It uses a 1.5 HP motor and a 12 V battery which is charged by a solar panel to run the prototype. Power from the battery is used to drive the cutting blades. The cutting frame is assembled with the help of mechanical links .Different shapes can be achieved with the help of the cutting blades by using various attachments. The cutting action is carried out using horizontal blades mounted on high speed motors fast enough to cut the plants and shrubs. The cutting frame rotates at 15 RPM and the cutting blades rotate at a very high rpm to trim and give the required shape to the plants. Automation of the project is achieved with the help of the Arduino microcontroller and can also be operated manually with the help of switches. The prototype is easy and simple to use, reduces manual labor and constant supervision is not required. It is relatively faster than the existing hand held equipment technique and can be easily assembled and disassembled on site.

The cost of this prototype is approximately Rs.30000/- and if implemented as a product on a larger scale can be beneficial to maintenance of gardens in public space, college campuses, hospitals, resorts etc. It is also a much more economically viable option compared to the other plant trimming machine and also environment friendly since it makes use of Solar energy. The team members are grateful to the Director, Fr. Kinley D’ Cruz and Principal, Dr. Neena Panandikar for providing the necessary support for execution of the project.